Saigon Street Food Tour - Must Do

Scootering around on the back of a vespa through the streets of Saigon, looking for interesting street food with a local..................  wow, how can we say no to such a treat.
As I was trawling through the internet whilst lazing on the beach at Mui Ne, I came across a local company call "Saigon Food Tour". They do private street food tours at night around Saigon (District 1,3,4 and 10) on the back of a motorbike. The tour takes around 4.5 hours and costs US$60 per person.

For a couple who travels to eat, this would be the ideal way to spend our last night in Ho Chi Minh City before heading back home. The booking process was simple, all done online through their website. We got a confirmation email back within the day of booking. Saigon, here we come !!! 

Anh and Linh (our guide) met us outside our hotel at 5.30pm as planned. They are friendly, spoke perfect english and tiny (a bit like me !! hahaha..... ). They gave us our helmets and a quick lesson on being a pillion passenger (just hang on to the back of the seat) and before we could say go, we were right into the thick of Ho Chi Minh city traffic weaving in and out amongst locals heading out for the night or home for dinner. 

Steph and Anh

Our first eat stop was at a place in District 3 - Banh Xeo Truc Bang. 

First stop - outside Banh Xeo Truc Bang

Cooking Banh Can with terracotta moulds over charcoal

Cooking Banh Xeo Phan Rang

This place has a makeshift kitchen outside and lots of small tables and chairs scattered throughout. 

Banh xeo Phan Rang - These are the big pancakes from Phan Rang Province. These are slightly different to the tumeric yellow vietnamese pancakes you normally see in Vietnamese restaurants. The pastry is thicker, but the filling is the same - prawns, squids, beansprouts.

Banh Can - Small pancakes from Phan Rang Province. These little pattie cakes are similar to Banh Beo, also made with rice flour. However, banh beo is steamed, whereas these little cakes are cooked over coal in the little terracotta moulds. They are fluffy and bread like. 

The way to eat banh xeo and banh can is to wrap them in coral lettuce leaves, with a whole lot of Vietnamese herbs, including Wasabi leaf (Cai xanh), Thai basil (Hung Que), Purple perilla (Tia to), Fish mint (Diep Ca), Shredded Baby mango (Xoai xanh). Dip it into a chilli lime dipping sauce - ah...... delicious !!

Fish Mint (Diep Ca)

Cha Cuon  - Fresh spring rolls with fish sausage

After we devour everything, we put our helmets back on and hit the crazy street of bikes and cars again towards District 10 to a noodle soup stall for some Banh Canh Cua (Crab Drop Noodle Soup)

Banh Canh Cua Gia Truyen

All the ingredients that went into our bowl of noodles

This is Gia Truyen on Vinh Vien Street. This place is busy with locals, all seating on these little plastic seats and tiny tables. Anh and Linh found us a table and started ordering for us. 

This is the house specialty - Banh Canh Cua with crab (cua), shrimp (tom), shrimp sausage (cha tom), quail egg (trung cut) and fried bread (gio chao quay)

The broth was intense and sweet, the drop noodles had just the right chewiness. Perfect. 

As it was hot and humid, Anh ordered a refreshing drink for us - Nuoc Sam. This is a herbal tea made with sugar cane, pandan leaves, grass root, corn silk and a whole lot of ingredients........ delicious and very good for you. 

Steph and I love our Banh Mi. We often go to Hong Ha in Mascot and get our Banh Mi fix when we are in Sydney. On our many trips to Vietnam, we had seen a lot of these Banh Mi stands, but never had the courage to get one. So at the time of booking this tour with Saigon Food Tour, I mentioned that we love Banh Mi. So to our surprise, Anh and Linh took us on a detour and we found ourselves at a Banh Mi Stall that Anh's mum had reccommended. That just made our night........... how awesome was that. (we loved these two gorgeous girls even more !!! )

Pork Pate, Home made mayonnaise, Pork floss

Home made steamed pork (Cha), Rolled Pork, Nem (Pickled Pork)

Anh ordered the pork Banh Mi for us. Do you know what I love about this place, the lady in the photo who served us........ you can tell she's a pro. 

Now that we have tried Banh Mi in Vietnam, how does it compare to Hong Ha at Mascot - Australia - you may ask?? The baguette rolls in Saigon has a nice crunch and the flavour of the filling is subtle with a good mix of meat. I prefer the ones in Mascot because there are a lot more pickled vegetables and sauce is more flavoursome. 

The girls also took us for a quick wander around the flower market that was close by to walk off a bit of the food before heading on to our next destination. 

Our 4th stop for the night is a Vietnamese BBQ Restaurant - Quan Khoi on Vinh Khanh Street in District 4. This street is pumping, full of young locals out in groups having a great time. There were lots of street buskers from singing to flame juggling. 

Anh and Linh showed us to a table and immediately, the waiters brought out our charcoal grill and the girls ordered a couple of FROZEN BEERS for us.......... someone in Australia needs to start serving these. They were perfect for this weather and yes, it was too easy going down, second rounds on the way before the girls could finish ordering our food !!  

We had:

Beef rolls with needle mushrooms (Bo cuon nam kim cham)

sausages (Xuc Xich)

Bacon marinated with house special sauce (Ba chi nuong sot khoi)

Goats udder marinated with fermented tofu sauce (Nhu de nuong chao)

Stir-fried Frog marinated with fish sauce (Ech chien nuong mam)

I am sure by this stage, Anh and Linh must be struggling to take us on the back of the bike..... We had eaten so much, I am sure we had tripled our weight.

So we waddled back to the bike to head onto our final food destination. Dessert (Che). The specialty shop we visited is Che Nam Bo in Dinh Tien Hoang Street - District 1 and looks to be family run.

Here we shared these:-

Grilled banana with tapioca jelly and coconut milk (Chuoi nuong)

Steamed banana with cassava root, tapioca jelly and coconut milk (Che chuoi)

Mixed jelly dessert with jack fruit, dragon fruit and a whole lot of different fruits (Che Thai)

Mashed mung bean dessert (Dau xanh danh)

Mixed bean dessert with mung beans, black beans, red beans and white beans or moon beans (Che dau thap cam)

Thank god, we shared these. I think I would explode from food overload if I had to have all of this on my own. 

This is Anh and Linh, our delightful hosts. They are university students, studying english. So this is a chance for them to practise their english. They gave us great insight into local foods, culture, way of life and the expectations from their parents of their future. They were also interested on what our views are of Vietnam, our education system and what our life is like in Australia and about our work. 

It was the best 4.5 hours and was worth every cent. It was the highlight of our entire trip and we will join these guys on more tour when we return. Being able to be a part of the crazy Ho Chi Minh City traffic as a passenger on the bike was an absolute buzz and we still talk about it now to this day. At no time did we feel unsafe, the girls although tiny had no problem with having us on the back of their bike. 

But what made this tour special apart from all the delicious food was Anh and Linh. Thanks a million girls. You guys ROCK !!! 

Six Sense Ninh Van Bay Resort & Spa - Nha Trang

Tranquility, Seclusion, Indulgence & Warmth

4 words that describes our stay at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay located on the peninsula of Nha Trang in Central Vietnam. 
Only reachable by boat, we were chauffeured from the airport for about an hour to the resort ferry port where we hopped onboard a small ferry along with other guests for a short 20 minute journey to start our week of pampering. 

Getting off the ferry to be greeted by our GEM (Guest Experience Maker)

The resort has 4 different types of villas - Hill Top Pool Villa, Beach Front Pool Villa, Rock Pool Villa and Water Pool Villa. There is also the Hill Top Retreat which can accommodate up to 10 guests. Every villa has a private pool. 

We decided on staying in a Hill Top Villa as the views are more spectacular and we figured we would have more privacy. The only draw back is the steep climb of about 50 or so steps to get to it. (Well worth the effort and it allowed us to work off all those delicious meals and cocktails we indulged in). As soon as we arrived, we were whisked off in a golf buggy with our GEM, AN. He showed us around the resort before showing us to our villa. As we drove pass Dining by the Pool, An mentioned there is an ice-cream room where all guests can enjoy complimentary ice cream everyday between 8am - 4pm........... THAT IS 8 HOURS OF ICE CREAM !!! I am in heaven.............. AN gave us his personal contact number and told us we can call him 24/7 for any assistance during our stay at the resort. He was amazing. 

We stayed in Hill Top Villa 15. It was better than what we saw on the website. Spacious, tastefully decorated that blended in with the natural surroundings, our very own plunge pool overlooking Ninh Van Bay, Separate villas for bedroom and lounge/dining room, outdoor and indoor shower, the BEST wooden bath and massive bathroom, walk in wardrobe and a very well stocked wine fridge. 

Awesome Bathroom. I want one of these at home !!

A panoramic view of our villa.... and no neighbours

Plunge Pool 

We found the best way to cool down after climbing up to our villa is to strip off and dive straight into this beautiful pool............ instant gratification. Because the villa was so comfortable and spacious, we enjoyed many room service lunches rather than heading down to the restaurant. The only thing is I felt so sorry for the poor staff who has to make the delivery to us. They must have dreaded when they get our call. But he always has a smile on his face. Check out this cool room service back pack. Better than the good old room service trolleys !!

Every guest is provided with a push bike to get around the resort. For those who are not keen on riding can always call their GEM to pick them up in the buggy. Just for the record, we rode our bike the entire time........sprightly young things that we are !! 
Well..... AN did insist on picking us up in his buggy once, we had arranged to have a degustation dinner up at Dinner by the Rocks. We were kind of dressed up and it was kind of far from our villa and we would have had a bit to drink........ (excuses, excuses !!! ) 

The bikes have number plates with our villa number on them. Apparently, if we return next time, it will have our name on it. 

Six Senses Resorts are famous for their spa treatments. We had the best spa day on our last visit to Vietnam when we stayed at the Six Senses Anamandara in Nha Trang. So when we had booked our stay at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, an afternoon of pampering at the spa was definitely on our agenda. Steph booked us in for a "Couples Connect" Ritual. Steam/ sauna, body exfoliation, full body massage, Indian hair massage and a coconut milk bath. 3 hours of heavenly bliss. 

Privacy is the key at this resort. Just before the final flight of steps leading up to our villa, this face can be found 

Eyes open - indicates we are either out for the day, the room attendant can service our room. 










Eyes shut - indicates privacy please. 

Such a brilliant novel idea. The good thing is all staff calls out as they come up the last flight of steps just in case........... which is a good thing because the entire villa is completely open.......... its somewhat liberating. 

Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is an amazing place with the ideal location and all very thoughtfully planned out. It is eco-friendly, has enough activities and facilities to keep everyone entertained for days and days, beautiful clean secluded beaches, delicious food and great cocktails. The best thing about this resort is their staff. We were blown away by how welcoming they all are. Every staff is a host, and you are always made to feel like you are a guest in their home. Everyone, from the resort manager to the restaurant and bar staff, room attendants, gardeners would all come up and make their introductions on our first couple of days. By the end of the second day, they all knew who we are and would greet us any time of the day as we pass by on our bikes or enjoying a meal or drink. Every single staff takes ownership of their resort and you can feel the warmth along with the professionalism in what they do. That is a testimony to a well managed property. 

It was a sad day when our visit came to an end.......... An, along with a number of staff wave farewell to us as we pulled away from the jetty......... I am gonna miss this place and will endeavour to come back so I can have "Jules" on my bike. Maybe next time we will book a Rock Pool Villa or a Water Pool Villa for a different perspective. 

Here are some photos during our stay.

Breakfast Pho

 

Vietnamese Street Food Night

Cocktails and Canapés night follow by open-air cinema movie night

Breakfast in Sydney - Bangladeshi Style

I LOVE SYDNEY .......... Do you know why???
Sydney is the ideal city for anyone who loves FOOD..... it is a city where you can find dim sum better than you would in Hong Kong, Vietnamese pork rolls and pho better than in the street of Ho Chi Minh City, Gyros better than Luckys in Santorini, Ramen and sushi to match those in Japan. The beauty is whatever international cuisine you are craving for.......... chances are you will find them in Sydney and most of the time, it will be pretty authentic.

Sydney was where we had Bangladeshi food for Breakfast when we stayed the night with Saif and Jane. Saif is an Australian, born in Bangladesh and they suggested heading out for Bangladeshi breakfast in Lakemba. I am all for it..... I can't wait to see what is on offer.
I have been wanting to visit Lakemba for a long time. I have always known it to have lots of good Lebanese restaurants and shops. Saif tells me it is slowly starting to become an enclave for Bangladeshis too with loads of grocery shops and eateries opening up.
The restaurant we went to is call - Khusboo

This is the menu - Check it out for yourself.

As you can see, its not a big menu and contains some seriously interesting breakfast dishes..... Brain marsala anyone???? The wonderful thing is, its quite kind to the wallet..........
As we have no idea what is what.... we left the ordering to Saif (I love that........... surprise me !!! )

Steph looked quite relief that the ordering is taken care of

Saif & Jane doing a great job with the orders

So here is what we had

Aloo Vaji, Lopoti and Paratha

The first few dishes to arrive are:
Aloo Vaji - Fried potatoes. These are shredded and fried - Yummy and moorish
Lopoti - A spicy dish with chicken wings, liver and giblet. I have never been a fan of chicken livers unless it is in pate.... but I was surprise on how tasty these are and the texture was really nice. Had a bite to it.
Paratha - Just yummy and good for soaking up all the sauces

Lopoti - Close up

Aloo Vaji - Close up

On top of the paratha, we also had some fried bread - called Luchy. This is like a cross between a papadam and a paratha

Luchy

If there is Brain Marsala on the menu...... Do you think we would say no to it? Of course not. We are travelling HEADCASES. So here it is

Brain Marsala

It was surprisingly very tasty. We all agreed that it is just like scrambled eggs. Saif told us it is Cow's Brain. It is spicy with a really good rounded curry gravy........ absolutely love it.

Beef Bhoona

Saif, being a wonderful host as always........... ordered something 'Normal" to keep Jane and Ander happy. This is Beef Bhoona - Spicy beef. It was definitely spicy, beautiful flavour with loads of cardamon. The meat just falls off the bone. Ander also managed to get an omelette, which was of course spiced with chilli and curry flavour.......... he devoured it before we got a chance to taste it or take a photo of it. A good sign that it was a wicked dish no doubt.

A good sign - not much left

Khushboo also have Bangladeshi sweets to take home

As I looked around, the restaurant was filled with Bangladeshi family - Old and young, starting off their weekend with a hearty breakfast. Others may have bacon and eggs..........there is definitely nothing out of the ordinary to have curry for breakfast...... I am in heaven.

THANK YOU JANE & SAIF for your wonderful hospitality and for introducing us to a new way of breakfast......... when is our next breakfast date?????

Khushboo Sweets & Restaurant
Address: 38 Railway Parade, Lakemba NSW 2195
Phone:(02) 9750 6600